Central Network Positions Research Articles

Does host migration affect host-parasite interaction? Migrant birds harbor exclusive parasites but have similar roles in parasite-host networks.

Parasites comprise a substantial portion of global biodiversity and play critical roles in shaping ecosystems by modulating trophic networks and affecting their hosts' abundance and distribution. The dynamics of host migration introduce new complexity to these relationships. From the host perspective, migratory behavior can either act as a defense mechanism or augment exposure to a broader spectrum of pathogens. Conversely, for parasites, host migration represents a mechanism for their dispersion and an opportunity to infect new host species. This study investigates the complex interplay between migration and parasite-host interactions, focusing on the interaction between hosts and avian malaria and malaria-like parasites in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. We captured 1466 birds representing 70 different species, uncovering 322 infections with Plasmodium/Haemoproteus parasites. We observed variations in migration timing and fluctuations in host abundance across months. By comparing the observed patterns of interaction of migratory and non-migratory birds to patterns of interaction expected at random, we show that migration affects the roles hosts take in the parasite-host network. Interestingly, despite the fact migratory species hosted more exclusive and distinct parasites, migrants did not occupy central network positions, which are mostly occupied by resident birds. Overall, we highlight the role of resident birds as a key species within parasite-host communities and the high specialization among avian haemosporidians and their hosts.

Board Interlock Networks and Corporate Low-Carbon Innovation in China: Does Position Matter?

Through combining the resource dependence theory and social network theory, this study sheds light on how two major kinds of interlocking network positions—central network position and structural holes position—drive corporate low-carbon innovation. We consider the mediating effect of information asymmetry and knowledge absorptive capacity to reap benefits from occupying the two advantageous network positions. We have empirically investigated a sample of 3365 listed firms over the period of 2009–2018 drawn from China, the largest emerging market economy as well as the biggest carbon dioxide emitter. Our main results show that either holding a central network position or spanning a structural holes position plays a significant role in stimulating low-carbon technologies, and the promotion effect can be partially channeled through downward information asymmetry and upward knowledge absorptive capacity. Our findings differ from earlier work because of our emphasis on network position, and our specific focus on corporate low-carbon innovation and China's unique setting, rather than network size, greenhouse gas emissions, and developed economies. This study also provides significant implications for executives striving to improve firms’ low-carbon innovation performance, and for policymakers seeking ways to fulfill the mission of carbon dioxide abatement.

Collaborating in a centralized governance mechanism: structure and fragmentation of large-scale response coordination during the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut in Shenzhen

PurposeThis paper aims to examine a large-scale typhoon response coordination, focusing on the emergency collaborative network (ECN) configuration and structural properties that characterized the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut response operations in Shenzhen, China.Design/methodology/approachThe response coordination of Typhoon Mangkhut was operationalized as a Shenzhen-based ECN established upon a six-week observation. A systematic content analysis of publicly available government documents and newspaper articles was conducted to identify participating organizations and interorganizational relationships built and sustained during and immediately after the disaster. Social network metrics at levels of the node, subgroup of nodes and whole network were utilized to examine network capacity, network homophily and network performance, respectively.FindingsResults of the centrality analysis demonstrate that government agencies at municipal and district/county levels took central network positions while private and non-profit organizations were mostly positioned at the network periphery. The blocking analysis points to a salient homophily effect that participating organizations sharing similar attributes were more likely to connect with each other. A further investigation of whole network metrics and the small-world index reveals the highly fragmented and discontinued features of ECN, which may result in unsystematic coordination among organizational actors.Originality/valueThis paper is distinctive in examining the coordination structure among response organizations embedded in a centralized and monocentric governance system and, more importantly, how the structural characteristics can differ from that evidenced in a more decentralized and polycentric system.

Are acquirers different? Identifying firm precursors to acquisitions

PurposeThe authors propose and test a theoretical framework that develops and analyzes precursors to firm acquisitions to determine if acquirers differ from other firms.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use longitudinal, archival data from a sample of the largest firms in the global pharmaceutical industry from 1991 to 2012 with 1,327 firm-year observations.FindingsThe authors integrate prior research to show that the firm characteristics involving (1) R&D investment, (2) prior experience and (3) network centrality influence the likelihood that a firm will complete an acquisition.Originality/valueIn contrast to research focusing on the performance of acquiring firms, the authors show that firm characteristics predict acquisition activity by highlighting that acquiring firms differ from other firms. The authors also develop how network synergies can be realized by acquirers that have information advantages from more central network positions.

How do different network positions affect crowd members' success in crowdsourcing challenges?

AbstractIn the crowdsourcing challenges, crowd members can interact with each other by, for example, chatting, exchanging feedback, providing advice, discussing, and commenting on ideas. These social interactions shape a network structure, which is a set of social relationships developed by crowd members. This study aims at investigating how occupying diverse network positions within a crowdsourcing challenge network increases the members' likelihood to succeed in a competition. Leveraging prior literature on social networks and crowdsourcing research, we theorize how central and structural hole network positions influence the crowd members' likelihood of winning crowdsourcing challenges by leveraging the knowledge and information flows that they can access through such network positions. To empirically test the developed hypotheses, we built a crowdsourcing challenge network shaped by 2479 members registered in the 99designs crowdsourcing platform. We found that both occupying a central position and assuming a structural hole network position within the crowdsourcing challenge network showed an inverted U‐shaped effect on the success of crowd members. The results of this study contribute to previous crowdsourcing literature and provide critical implications for crowd members and managers organizing crowdsourcing competitions.

An employee retention model using organizational network analysis for voluntary turnover.

Contemporary research of employee social network analysis has grown far beyond the conventional wisdom of network and turnover theory; however, what is missing is a comprehensive review highlighting new perspectives and network constructs from a retention viewpoint. Since turnover is a concurrent component of retention, the analysis of the factors of quit propensity can result in a pre-emptive strategy for retention. This paper aims to capture the current state of the field and proposes a conceptual model for retention by exploring network position, centrality measures, network type, and the snowball effect. We identified 30 papers exploring voluntary turnover in social network constructs. Findings show that central network position is not always associated with negative turnover. Eigenvector, structural holes, and K-shell also prove to be a strong predictor of turnover. The snowball turnover of employees in similar network positions is pronounced in scenarios where employee sentiment is negative with poor group efficacy, entrepreneurship, and group values. This paper focuses on several themes to coalesce different determinants of an organizational network to demonstrate how social network theory has evolved to predict employee turnover. The resulting conceptual model suggests how to identify star performers and propose retention strategies.

Social network position, trust behavior, and neural activity in young adolescents

Our social interactions take place within numerous social networks, in which our relationships with others define our position within these networks. In this study, we examined how the centrality of positions within social networks was associated with trust behavior and neural activity in 49 adolescents (Mage = 12.8 years, SDage = 0.4 years). The participants played a trust game with a cartoon animation as a partner, which showed adaptive behavior in response to the participant and was generally untrustworthy. Social network positions were obtained in secondary school classrooms where the participants and their classmates reported on who their friends were. Using social network analysis, a score was calculated that indicated the centrality of everyone's position within the friendship network. The results showed that more central social network positions were associated with higher levels of initial trust behavior, although no evidence was found for a relationship between network position and the adaptation of trust behavior. The results of the functional MRI analyses showed that the centrality of the network positions was positively associated with caudate activity when making trust decisions. Furthermore, the adolescents with more central network positions also showed stronger increases of caudate activity when the partner's return was processed compared to the adolescents with less central network positions. The current study provides initial evidence that social network positions in friendship networks relate to socio-cognitive behavior and neural activity in adolescents.

Disentangling the Effects of Interpersonal and Interfirm Network Centrality on Knowledge Transfer

Social network scholars have placed emphasis on the benefits of occupying central network positions on knowledge transfer. Yet, there is a limited understanding on the boundary conditions influencing the relationship between centrality and knowledge transfer. We conduct a meta-analysis to unravel and provide a systematic and comprehensive account of the effects of centrality on knowledge transfer in interfirm and interpersonal networks and identify potential moderators. From meta-analysing 77 empirical studies representing 82 independent samples with 147 effect sizes, we find that the relationship between centrality and knowledge transfer varies depending on the level of analysis but remains consistent across various cultural context. Moreover, the magnitudes of effects of centrality on knowledge transfer significantly differ when diverse centrality types and transferred knowledge dimensions are teased apart, simultaneously examined and compared. To this end, we contribute to social network theory and knowledge-based view by providing a more elaborate account of effects of centrality on knowledge transfer, their boundary conditions, potential theoretical advancements, and managerial implications.

Familiarity, dominance, sex and season shape common waxbill social networks

AbstractIn gregarious animals, social network positions of individuals may influence their life-history and fitness. Although association patterns and the position of individuals in social networks can be shaped by phenotypic differences and by past interactions, few studies have quantified their relative importance. We evaluated how phenotypic differences and familiarity influence social preferences and the position of individuals within the social network. We monitored wild-caught common waxbills (Estrilda astrild) with radio-frequency identifiers in a large mesocosm during the non-breeding and breeding seasons of two consecutive years. We found that social networks were similar, and that the centrality of individuals was repeatable, across seasons and years, indicating a stable social phenotype. Nonetheless, there were seasonal changes in social structure: waxbills associated more strongly with opposite-sex individuals in breeding seasons, whereas in non-breeding seasons they instead assorted according to similarities in social dominance. We also observed stronger assortment between birds that were introduced to the mesocosm at the same time, indicating long-lasting bonds among familiar individuals. Waxbills that had been introduced to the mesocosm more recently occupied more central network positions, especially during breeding seasons, perhaps indicating that these birds had less socially-differentiated associations with flock members. Finally, individual differences in color ornamentation and behavioral assays of personality, inhibitory control, and stress were not related to network centrality or association patterns. Together, these results suggest that, in gregarious species like the common waxbill, social networks may be more strongly shaped by long-lasting associations with familiar individuals than by phenotypic differences among group members.

Female inventors over time: Factors affecting female Inventors’ innovation performance

The aim of this paper is to explore the collaboration of female inventors, how it affects their innovation production and whether it influences their innovation impact. Empirical knowledge of how inventors collaborate in co-patenting collaborations holds an important key to innovation development. In this article, we report on an analysis of international inventors and patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) between 1978 and 2019. We investigate the structure of inventors’ networks—particularly those of female inventors—over time using social network analysis and address the gender patterns of collaboration. It can be observed that while female inventors’ overall involvement in patenting activity is not that high, the share of female inventors increases over the time period in question from 1.2% to 8.9%. We also estimate panel data regressions on the number of patents and the citation rates of the patents at an individual level. Our results show that although all inventors benefit from a more central network position within the co-patenting network in terms of their innovation output, the positive influence is greater for male inventors than female inventors. In addition, when inventors collaborate with inventors from more diversified countries and regions they contribute to more patents and their patents are more cited.

Institutional investor networks and crash risk: Evidence from China

We examine the impact of institutional investor networks on stock price crash risk in China. Using data from 2007 to 2019 on Chinese institutional investors, we document that well-connected institutions (i.e., institutions in the institutional investor network) from more central network positions can increase stock price crash risk more than other investors. The documented effect is robust to endogeneity concerns. We also find that the role of institutional investor networks in increasing crash risks is partially attributed to reduced accounting conservatism and investor herding. Our article sheds light on the effects of institutional investor networks on stock price crash risk.

Nonprofit Board Governance Policy Adoption: Toward an Integrated Board Interlock Network and Institutional Perspectives

Previous research lags behind in illuminating theoretical mechanisms that shape governance decision-making on board practices. Using an integrated theoretical approach, I examine how board interlock network and institutional factors are associated with board governance policy adoption in nonprofit organizations. A linear regression model is employed to investigate policies adopted by a panel of public charities in three cities in Upstate New York during 2008 and 2014. Results show that not only the presence of board interlock networks but also central network positions relate to extensive policy adoption. Results also reveal that the use of paid professionals in management relates to institutional isomorphism reflected by more extensive governance policy adoption. These results provide insights for nonprofit leaders seeking to facilitate good governance practices by paying attention to board members’ affiliations and institutional environment considerations.

Alumni social networks and hedge fund performance: Evidence from China

Based on unique data of Chinese private hedge funds, we first construct the “strong alumni” (alumni of the same school and the same major) social networks of private hedge fund managers, and examine the impact of alumni social networks on the performance of hedge funds in China. We build a series of alumni networks using the educational background information of 4734 private hedge funds, and perform an empirical analysis on a sample of 1115 private hedge funds products from 2010 to 2019. Different from previous findings of mutual funds, we find that more central network positions of hedge fund managers are associated with better risk-adjusted fund performance. Hedge fund managers with more central positions conduct more active investment styles and receive lower fund flows.11We use the term “fund flow” to refer to the money flow into hedge funds. Please see the detailed definition in Section 5.4. The results supplement the evidence that information advantages brought by central position in social networks can influence managers' investment styles, thus improve hedge fund performance.

Supplier centrality, innovation value and supplier acquisition: evidence from US high-tech manufacturing firms

PurposeThe importance of supply chain network centrality has been widely recognized in the manufacturing literature. This study extends this literature by investigating the relationship between network centrality and innovation value. “Innovation value” refers to an innovation's impact, quality and potential future contribution to technological development in a business community. This study also aims to examine whether the relationship between supplier centrality and innovation value is contingent upon supplier acquisition.Design/methodology/approachThe study hypotheses are tested with archival data collected from US high-tech manufacturing industries over the 17-year period. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe authors found that supplier centrality has a significant positive relationship with innovation value. Moreover, an increase in supplier acquisition activities makes the relationship between supplier centrality and innovation value more positive.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the manufacturing and technology management research by exploring the impact of supplier centrality on innovation value. The results of this study shed light on the importance of a firm's central network position in enhancing the impact and quality of innovation. This study uncovers contingencies that help realize the potential benefits of holding a central network position.

The Networked Diplomacy of Informal International Institutions

Abstract The rise of informal international institutions has been one of the most significant developments in institutional design and choice since the 1990s. While states have increasingly opted for informal governance, little is known about the character of intergovernmental relations in these settings. Scholars, for instance, debate whether great powers dominate such institutions, or whether influence can be exercised by a wider array of players. Drawing from the author’s experience as a government representative within the Proliferation Security Initiative, a leading informal institution, this article provides a theory-driven analysis of intergovernmental interactions within such bodies. It demonstrates that diplomacy within informal institutions tends to assume a decentralized, networked quality that favors actors positioned at the center of intergovernmental networks. In doing so, the article highlights clear means through which central network positions confer influence. The article also sheds new light on the Proliferation Security Initiative and on counterproliferation cooperation more generally.

Sustainability and green practices: the role of stakeholder power in fast-food franchise chains

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how the power of salient stakeholders involved in the green waste management of franchise chains can impact the ability of the chains to change their green practices.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study is based on interview data from 19 franchisors and their head office staff operating in the fast-food sector in France where franchise chains have been ‘named and shamed’ as continuing to ignore waste management regulation.FindingsThe findings suggest that both the form and bases of power of different stakeholder groups have important implications for the implementation of green practices, even those required by law. The authors find that the franchisees’ central network position alters the ability of franchisors to directly engage in dialog, consult with, and educate key stakeholders, creating additional challenges for franchisors in the implementation process.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative nature of the study limits the extent to which the findings can be generalized. Future studies could develop an instrument to assess franchisor perceptions of stakeholder power.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that franchisors should consider carefully how they communicate changes to green practices to their franchisees to ensure not only their compliance but also their motivation to engage with those stakeholders with whom they have regular interactions. The findings can also help governments to better understand how to involve other stakeholders to ensure effective environmental legislation.Originality/valueThe study is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to consider the role of stakeholders in the implementation of green practices in franchise chains. By examining franchise chains, this paper provides new insights into the role of an additional stakeholder, the franchisee, and enriches the literature on green practices in the hospitality sector.

Theory and experiments on network games of public goods: inequality aversion and welfare preference

In this paper, we investigate social preferences in network games, where the network structure determines whose action affects the payoff of which player. We develop alternative theories that incorporate inequality aversion and welfare preference into the context of dominant-strategy network games, and test their implications in laboratory experiments. When the economic return is relatively low, we observe that subjects contribute more than the amount that would maximize their monetary profit; moreover, subjects at the central network positions contribute more than those at the periphery. These anomalies suggest that subject behavior is mainly driven by the welfare preference and not as much by either inequality aversion or self-interest, regardless of the network structures considered. In a supplemental experiment with an increased economic return, we find that the advantage of social preferences over self-interest in driving individual activities varies with the underlying network architecture. We also estimate the behavioral parameters and interpret the results in relation to the network topology.

Social network correlates of education and employment service use among youth experiencing homelessness: A longitudinal study

BackgroundYouth experiencing homelessness (YEH) face significant obstacles to educational achievement and gainful employment. Drop-in centers offer support services to facilitate these opportunities, but there remains a need to understand which youth are most likely to use them. The present study used a diffusion of innovations framework to examine social network correlates of service use over a three-month period. Positive staff relationships, personal network exposure, and structural network measures were examined. MethodsParticipants were 253 YEH (Mage = 21.9, SD = 2.2) participating in an HIV-prevention trial at three drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Surveys were completed at baseline (wave 1), 1-month (wave 2) and 3-months (wave 3) post-baseline. Individual characteristics and sociometric network ties to other youth were assessed. Cross-sectional and lagged logistic regression models were used to identify significant network correlates of service use. ResultsA significant minority of YEH used education (23.6%) or employment (33.7%) services at wave 1, with modest increases at waves 2 and 3. Indegree centrality was associated with education service use at wave 1 (OR = 1.30, 95% CI[1.04, 1.64]). Positive staff relationships were associated with employment service use at wave 1 (OR = 2.05, 95% CI[1.06, 2.99]), and outdegree was associated with employment service use at wave 3 (OR = 1.69, 95% CI[1.13, 2.55]). In addition, education level, housing situation, LGBTQ+ identity, drop-in center location, and duration of drop-in center use were related to service usage. ConclusionsYouth who occupy more central network positions and/or report positive relationships with staff are more likely to use higher-level drop-in services. Network approaches to engaging youth in services should be considered along with other individual and contextual factors.

Opinion leaders in eco-innovation diffusion: Analysis of information networks for waste separation in Shanghai

Waste separation at source is a critical method for waste management, yet understanding of its human dimension, especially the social embeddedness, has been underestimated. Grounded in the perspective of innovation diffusion, we viewed the recent policy of mandatory source separation in Shanghai as an eco-innovation for citizens and investigated the role of opinion leaders in its diffusion process. Using a novel theoretical and methodological approach, social network analysis, we examined the relationships between opinion leaders’ centralities in the information exchange networks and their competence in source separation–knowledge and attitude. Results showed that opinion leaders’ higher level of knowledge in waste source separation was associated with their central network positions in terms of reaching out to others in person and providing information on social media. However, most participants generally had supportive attitudes toward source separation; their attitudes did not vary with the positions in the information networks. Findings highlight the importance of knowledge in eco-innovation and the role of opinion leaders in the diffusion process. The study contributes to a theoretical application of diffusion to a unique context, i.e., eco-innovation, and findings can be applied to effective policy implementations for future waste management programming.

The roles actors play in policy networks: Central positions in strongly institutionalized fields

AbstractCentralities are a widely studied phenomenon in network science. In policy networks, central actors are of interest because they are assumed to control information flows, to link opposing coalitions and to directly impact decision-making. First, we study what type of actor (e.g., state authorities or interest groups) is able to occupy central positions in the highly institutionalized context of policy networks. Second, we then ask whether bonding or bridging centralities prove to be more stable over time. Third, we investigate how these types of centrality influence actors’ positions in a network over time. We therefore adopt a longitudinal perspective and run exponential random graph models, including lagged central network positions at t1 as the main independent variable for actors’ activity and popularity at t2. Results confirm that very few actors are able to maintain central positions over time.